Whipped
by mentalmishaps
Summary: Zuko finds that being around his sister and her friends means being pushed around. A lot. Poor Zuko can't seem to get his way. Maiko: Very, very mild spoilers for Book Fire and the Avatar magazine.


**New fic! dances Anyway, this is a Maiko fic that's been jiggling around in my head for the longest time. I've never quite been able to get it right though. It started as a oneshot, but now it will have three chapters. They won't be very long though. As always, I love critism so please R&R!**

**As a bit of warning this isn't a lovely, squishy Maiko fic. Some people might say it's a bit anti-Maiko, but I just think it is more realistic. It's how I see Maiko, and it's a bit of why I love it.**

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Zuko awoke to the sun pouring through his window. He could have sworn that he had closed the curtains last night to avoid waking at this time. He closed them again and headed to his bed to get some more sleep and avoid the inevitable. The door swung open just as he had one foot under the green covers. It was Azula.

"Prince Zuko," she practically oozed sickly sweetness, "I'm so glad that you've woken. Breakfast starts in a few. Get dressed and come down. I know that a certain someone has been waiting to talk to you."

The door shut as quickly as it had opened, leaving Zuko to wash up and dress himself. After they had spent a while in Ba Sing Se, Azula had decided it was time to return home. Zuko hadn't wanted to return just yet. He was worried, worried about his father, his honor, his throne, and his Uncle. What if his father still didn't love him? What if his honor wasn't restored? Would he regain his status as the heir or would Azula take it? What would happen to Iroh when they left? He had politely denied his sister's request to go to the Fire Nation. Since then she had been bent on getting him to change his mind. Zuko had spent the last few weeks locked up in his room, eating alone. He knew what Azula had planned for him, and he knew it would work.

Now fully dressed, the prince slumped towards the dining room. The table was gargantuan, much too large for the four people that would be eating there. The plates were set up with little identification cards. He stared at the empty table. Two of the places were at each end of the table, at least a good ten to fifteen feet apart. The other two were ridiculously close, seated side by side in the middle. He went to the head of the table. Its chair was much grander than the others. The card read: "Princess Azula of the Fire Nation" in a fancy script. The other end of the table held a regular chair and card bearing Ty Lee's name. Zuko went towards the center and saw his name and Mai's side by side.

_It was going to happen sooner or later_ he thought with a sigh and sat down.

Servants bustled in with plates full of food. Breakfast items of all sorts were arranged onto large silver trays. He noticed that Ty Lee and his sister had their own trays by their ends of the table, completely eliminating the need to speak with the spectacle that would be him and Mai in the center. Ty Lee bubbled into the room after the trays had all been set. She generally went on about how fancy everything was until Azula arrived. The silence was thick. They all stared expectantly at Zuko, who in turn, stared at the door waiting for Mai. She came, sat, and began to eat without preamble. The other table members followed suit. After her face had been properly stuffed with breakfast, Mai turned to Zuko.

"So."

"So," he responded.

"It's pretty boring here."

"Yea- actually, it isn't so bad," Zuko narrowly avoided walking into the trap.

"Eh, I guess."

"Yeah."

"Want to go out and do something?"

"Um, actually Mai," he avoided looking at her. His sister had done it. She had found his true weakness. There was no saying no to Mai. He knew that Azula would use that to coax him back to the Fire Nation. He wouldn't even be able to enjoy a date with Mai, he'd be so jumpy. Then he risked a peek at her face. Light eyes stared up at him. They glowed and bored into him. Her scowl made him want to laugh, something that hadn't happened in quite a while. She didn't plead, not even with her eyes. She didn't have to. He caved.

"Sure, I'd love to." She smiled. So did he. This would not end well.

Breakfast ended and Ty Lee and Azula went their separate ways. Mai and Zuko began walking through the Earth Kingdom palace.

"Look," Mai said, "we both know that Azula told me to hang out with you today, and we both know why. I didn't say yes because of her, though. I said yes because of me. I want to spend time with you. It's been so long since you left. We need to catch up. Forget going back to the Fire Nation. Lets go explore Ba Sing Se."

"Ok," Zuko said. He had admitted defeat. Besides, he _did _miss Mai.

Azula had been listening in. Mai thought she was defying her. Typical Mai. By the next morning Zuko would decide to return home. Not for me, or Father, or his honor, but because he saw that Mai _missed _him. Azula would have her way. Zuko would not. Things were returning to normal already.

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**So there you have it! The other two chapters will be Ty Lee's Way and Mai's Way. They'll probably be up pretty soon. This one isn't going to have a thousand year break between chapters, I promise.**


End file.
